I cover science and public policy, environmental sustainability, media ideology, NGO advocacy and corporate responsibility. I'm executive director of the Genetic Literacy Project (www.GeneticLiteracyProject.org), an independent NGO, and Senior Fellow at the World Food Center's Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy at the University of California-Davis. I've edited/authored seven books on genetics, chemicals, risk assessment and sustainability, and my favorite, on why I never graduated from college football player (place kicker) to pro athlete: "Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We're Afraid to Talk About It". Previously, I was a producer and executive for 20 yeas at ABC News and NBC News. Motto: Follow the facts, not the ideology. Play hard. Love dogs.

Baby Boomer Blues: What Should A Man Of A 'Certain Age' Do When His Face Begins To Sag?

I’m a baby boomer. I’m fit and feel pretty spunky, but there is no defying gravity. My once youthful face had begun to sag (I cringe admitting this) and my eyelids looked heavy. I had that tired look. To compound my concerns, I had developed a snoring problem that drove my teenage daughter nuts when we shared a room when traveling.

After a sharp lull during the Great Recession, plastic surgery is again booming. And the trend doesn’t only apply to women—men are getting nipped and tucked with increasing regularity. National trends suggest that in some busy practices around the country, more than a quarter of the people going in for structural alterations like chin implants are male, a sharp increase over the past decade.

Overall, according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, almost ten percent of cosmetic procedures are done on men—more than double the percentage from 2000. Most of these men, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports, are coming in for the same things as women: facial and eyelid surgery, and liposuction.

So, apparently like many men of a certain age, and with some trepidation, I checked out the various plastic surgery practices in Cincinnati, where I live. I wanted to address both my snoring and facial flaws, so I targeted someone with expertise in both areas. After my research, I ended up in the offices of Jon Mendelsohn, a surgeon certified by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. Trained at Syracuse University, the Cincinnati surgeon now has one of the highest-volume Botox practices in the Midwest and is known as a top shelf facial and body remodeler as well.

Dr. Mendelsohn

“For years, when it came to plastic surgery, most men said, “It’s not for me,” Dr. Mendelsohn told me. But that’s changed. “I’ve definitely seen more men who, while hesitant, are curious and willing to consider these surgeries. There has been a gradual increase in interest over the past decade, but traffic really picked up after the 2008 financial collapse.”

Plastic surgery procedures in the United States peaked in 2007 at 1.84 million, a number still not eclipsed. “Many of the men who have come to see me since the downturn began said they were pushing off retirement and were frankly worried about job security. ‘Image is important,’” they said. “’What can you do to help?’”

Mendelsohn first discussed non-surgical options, like Botox. But for me, with the signs of aging growing, only the knife could address the issues.

For the snoring, he suggested coblation, which is a relatively new treatment that consists of pushing a probe into the soft palate and soft tissue in the nasal passages, removing and reducing the volume of fat by using radiofrequency energy, which is significantly cooler than traditional electrosurgery or lasers. Considering the thousands of dollars I had already dropped at various doctors and dentists who provided no relief, the cost—a few thousand dollars—seemed affordable.

What could I do about my sagging looks? We discussed a range of options, including a facelift, liposuction of my cheeks and lift surgery around my eyes and eyelids. It sounds expensive, and if you live on the coasts or in prime facial surgery regions like West

Palm Beach, Atlanta, Dallas or Chicago, it probably would be—upwards of $25,000. However, in line with many Midwest surgeons, high-end physicians in my hometown, like Mendelssohn, charge around $15,000 for the package, and that could include dot laser treatments to rejuvenate the skin.

The total would be a gulp inducing outlay. But for me, it would also be a once in-a-lifetime expenditure. So, I swallowed hard, and said “yes”.

A few months post surgery, I can say without reservation that it was worth it. As my daughter can attest, the coblation surgery cut my snoring dramatically. You can see for yourself the before and after facial pictures. Maybe they are just trying to flatter, but many people say I look like I’m in my late 40s. That works for me.

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This is a great piece. I think it gives hope to people who are struggling with aging, and may have had some trepidation about going under the knife. I am a baby boomer myself. I wouldn’t consider myself vein, but I am healthy and active, and did not see a face that I felt reflected who I was on the inside when I looked in the mirror.

In 2010 I underwent a mini face lift and botox treatment (Thanks Dr.Vega!.) But not after doing some serious research. I used plasticsurgery.org as a major starting point for my research. I trolled before and afters, read horror stories, and success stories. It took me almost an entire year to decide to do it, but I did, and couldn’t be happier. The first time my college aged children saw me, they couldn’t believe how much better I looked. My daughter told me I looked beautiful, which in itself was worth it to me. It is nice to read other success stories like mine.